Recetas de Merci

Spaguetti Carbonara

Prep Time: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes. 4 Servings.

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces) uncooked spaguetti
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 pound pancetta or bacon (diced)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

1. Cook spaguetti until al dente
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the pancetta for 3 to 4 minutes (until browned)
3. In a bow whick together cream, egg yolks, parmesan, salt and pepper
4. Drain the pasta and return to the saucepan. Stir in the egg and cheese mixture until well combined. Add the pancetta, toss with the sauce and heat through gently. If necessary to thin the sauce, add more cream
5. Serve with fresh parmesan

 

 

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Taken from Simplyrecipes.com. Very easy to make.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil Recipe

• 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
• 1/4 cup olive oil

1- Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. (If the tomatoes are too hot, you can protect your finger tips by rubbing them with an ice cube between tomatoes.) Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area. Why use plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes? The skins are much thicker and there are fewer seeds and less juice.

2 Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.

3 While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4 Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

Alternatively, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.

5 Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.

Serves 6-10 as an appetizer. Makes 24 small slices.

Lemon and Milk Braised Chicken

• 1 (4 to 5 pound) whole chicken
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsb. unsalted butter
• 2 cups milk
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
• 5 to 8 large sage leaves
• 2 (3") springs rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Discard chicken neck and any included giblets. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and black pepper, including inside the cavity
2. Place a 4-quart (or larger) dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot or pan over high heat. Add butter; when it melts and foams, add chicken. Brown chicken over high heat 10 minutes, using tongs to turn over.  When chicken is evenly golden brown, turn it breast side down and pour in milk. Bring to a simmer, then turn off heat
3. Add to milk the lemon zest, garlic cloves, sage, and rosemary.  Cover pot with a lid or foil and roast 45 minutes. Remove lid and roast until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes more.  Remove from oven and carve or shred chicken (it should pull off the bone easily). If needed add salt to sauce to taste. Serve, spooning sauce from pan over meat

 

 

Mahi mahi, scallops and capers in a buttery wine sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 (8 ounce) steaks (mahi mahi)
• 8 scallops
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup butter
• Salt, pepper and sage to taste
• 3 tablespoons capers, with liquid
• Angel Hair pasta

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the mahi mahi steaks on all sides until nicely browned. Remove from pan, and set aside.
2. Pour the wine into the pan, and use a spatula to scrape any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce to almost nothing, then stir in the garlic, butter and capers. Season with salt, sage, and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer for a minute to blend the flavors.
3. Cook the pasta. Set aside.
4. Return the steaks to the pan, add the scallops and coat them with sauce. Cook until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve fish on a plate and mix the pasta with the sauce.  Pour leftover sauce over the fish. 

Antipasto

Ingredientes

• 1 pimenton rojo
• 2 cebollas redondas medianas
• 1 frasco de vegetales mixtos en conserva
• 1 cucharada de maizena
• 2 tazas de salsa de tomate
• 1 lata grande de champinhones
• 2 latas de atun en aceite
• 1/4 libra de mantequilla
• 4 cucharadas de aceite
• Aceitunas al gusto

Preparacion

En una sarten colocar el aceite y la mantequilla. Picar la cebolla y el pimenton en tiras delgadas y sofreirlos. Agregar el encurtido, los champinhones partidos en rodajas y dejar freir un poco. Por ultimo agregar el atun,  la salsa de tomate y las aceitunas partidas en rodajas.  Por ultimo diluir la maicena en medio frasco del jugo del encurtido, mezclarlo todo y dejar que espese.  Dejarlo enfriar y conservarlo en la nevera en un frasco de vidrio.  Servir con galletas saltinas, pan arabe o tostadas de pan.

Easy Filet Mignon

•  4 (6-8 oz) filet mignon steaks
• Salt and freshly cracked pepper
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
• ¼ cup minced shallots
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• ¾ cup brandy
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup red wine
• ½ cup beef demi glace
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

1. Season filets on both sides with salt and pepper
2.  Over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan, add olive oil and then the meat.  Brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove steak and set aside lightly covered.
3. Add mushrooms to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic, and when it become slightly colored, add brandy. Cook, scraping up any brown bits in the pan, until most of the brandy has evaporated. Add mustard, worcestershire sauce and red wine.   Cook 2 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the demi glace and cook 2 to 3 minutes more.
4. Place meat back in the pan to warm in the sauce
5. To serve, place one filet on each plate. Swirl butter into sauce and pour over meat.

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 20 minutes

Mashed Potato Casserole with Sour Cream and Chives

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and more for the pan

6 pounds yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon black pepper

6 tablespoons finely chopped chives

2/3 cup bread crumbs

2/3 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

• Lightly grease a 9 inch by 13 inch baking pan
• In a large pot, bring the potatoes, 4 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. Boil potatoes until tender.  Drain.
• Mash potatoes with 10 tablespoons butter, sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Mash in the chives. Taste and adjust seasoning. Spread potatoes into prepared pan.
• In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons butter, bread crumbs and cheese. Mix until it forms coarse crumbs.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the potato casserole and bake until golden (30 to 40 minutes).

Green Tomato Pizza

1 pizza crust

1-2 green tomatoes, sliced

1/4-1/2 pesto (depending on size of crust)

Fresh mozzarella

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to temp appropriate for pizza crust
• Brush crust with olive oil
• Spread pesto on crust
• Top with sliced tomatoes
• Layer with mozzarella cheese
• Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper
• Bake for 7 to 10 minutes

Asparagus Frittata

5 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1/2 lb)

PREPARATION

1- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2- Coat a 9-inch pie play with cooking spray and set aside

3- Whisk eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper.  Stir in asparagus and pour into prepared plate.

4- Bake for 20 minutes. 

Makes 4 large servings. 

NOTE:  You may want to use canned asparagus instead of fresh asparagus if you prefer a softer consistency.

Pollo con Pimenton

4-6 porciones

Ingredientes

• 6 u 8 presas de pollo untadas de sal y ajo
• 2 cucharadas de aceite
• 1 cebolla de huevo picada
• 1 cebolla larga picada
• 1 pimenton maduro picado
• 2 dientes d ajo
• 1/2 cucharada de azucar
• 1/2 taza de agua
• 3 cucharadas de vinagre
• 1/2 taza de pasta de tomate
• 1 cucharada de salsa de soya
• Champinhones al gusto (echar al final si son de lata)

Sofreir todos los ingredientes, tapar y dejar cocinar hasta que ablande el pollo y las verduras.  Si se quiere mas espesa la salsa se espesa con un poco de harina.